Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in the Starwood Preferred Guests Moments event at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. The event featured a round on the famous Players Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass with PGA Tour Player Jim Furyk.

There aren’t many things that wake me up at 3:30 am. Generally, these things involve some combination of my 2-year-old, illness, and smoke detectors needing a battery change. And no, I did not drink a bottle of 5-Hour Energy in tribute to Mr. Furyk before going to sleep.

Fast forward a few hours and I’m standing on the practice putting green at TPC Sawgrass asking Jim Furyk about his Arizona Wildcats, who would begin their NCAA Tournament later in the day. After posing for a photo with Jim (full disclosure: he asked the event organizers to bring the photo backdrop outside to have his picture taken with me – or not) a putting clinic began.

While showing us a putting line drill Jim asked whom among the group thought they were a good putter. I am usually not one to volunteer, but when no one raised a hand after what seemed like 10 minutes (but was probably as soon as Jim got the words out of his mouth) I raised my hand. And then the nerves set in…throughout out my entire body.

I putted a couple of three-footers under the string line set up on the green, and made them both. Big deal. At this point Jim Furyk, a 16-time PGA Tour winner, confirmed his absolute expertise on putting when he complimented my putting stroke, set up, and alignment. This foreshadows an unfortunate occurrence later in the round for me though.

Furyk sharing the finer points of putting.

Clearly someone was fed up with the 17th hole.

The actual round of golf was pleasant and (thankfully) my playing partners were far from the horror-story jerks we all fear we’ll be paired when playing with strangers. Matt from Houston, Jim from Boston and Harry from Pennsylvania felt like a group of regular partners playing the normal Friday game…except we were playing a course designed expressly to challenge the best players in the world in one of the biggest tournaments of the year.

The most underrated feature of playing the Stadium Course is the forecaddie with each group. As with many Pete Dye designs, The Players Stadium course is intimidating off the tee. Most of the holes appear to have trouble left and right and the space of a juice glass to land your tee shot. The good news is that the landing areas are actually much more open than they appear. This is one aspect of Pete Dye’s signature diabolical style intended to warp the minds of touring professionals. Luckily, Terry, my group’s caddie, unlocked the secrets of where to place each of our tee shots, not that we were able to put his knowledge to use on a consistent basis.

Jim Furyk joined our group on the par-4 6th hole. After I teed up my ball and went through my pre-shot routine I stood over the ball, 3-wood in hand. In the instant before I took the club back I suddenly became aware of the fifth player in the group. A half-chunked-off-the-toe-draw somehow ran out 230 yards on the left side of the fairway.

Naturally, Jim Furyk hot exactly the shot one would expect from him. A boring 4-iron that landed 3 yards from the center of the fairway 157 yards from the flag. He knocked it to 16 feet. I bladed a pitching wedge over the back of the green and took two pair to hole out (2 chips and 2 putts).

The 7th on the Stadium Course is a tough par-4; in fact it’s the number 1 handicap hole. I somehow recovered to knock a driver out about 275 yards, one entire dimple ahead of Jim Furyk. I blame Terry the Caddie for talking me into less club that landed on the front of the green to a back pin. A decent lag on a tough breaking putt left me 3 feet sliding right-to-left for par. Again, as I drew my putter back I became aware of the fifth member of the group and pulled the putt. I looked up at Jim and said, “You shouldn’t have complimented my putting this morning.” In a show of solidarity Furyk also missed his short par putt to tie me with a bogey on the hole.

(I made my only birdie of the round on the 8th, holing a downhill 20-footer).

Jim Furyk’s on-course demeanor is stoic, even-keeled, and showing few emotions. In person, he was incredibly personable, self-deprecating, and seasoned his stories of life on Tour with a delightful sarcasm. He spoke with every member of the group, and answered all of our questions, surely ones he has heard a hundred times before. I had a couple of minutes to spend with him on the 7th. I asked him if he planned to play the Shell Houston Open the week before The Masters.

“I’ve asked a bunch of guys ‘Tell me about the course,’ they all said,

‘Well, you have to hit a high, bombed, long draw there. So it’s probably not good for you [Jim].’

“I laughed after the first three guys said that. But after seven more said that, I said ‘I’m probably never going to play there.’”

He explained that he prefers not to play the week before a major, unless the course suits him.

I also asked him about his favorite courses on Tour. Without hesitation he answered “Harbor Town.” (Site of the RBC Heritage) Furyk won there in 2010. I then asked his opinion on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook, home of the Valspar Championship. “It’s top 5 for me. It’s the best course [the Tour] plays in Florida. Some people think maybe Bay Hill because of Arnie or Doral or maybe [TPC Sawgrass]. But it’s the Copperhead by far.”

The last question I asked was about his best year on Tour. I wanted to know if 2010, when he won the Fed Ex Cup and three tournaments, was his best. I also brought up 2006 when his play got his to the number 2 ranking in the world, his career high; and 2003 when he won twice including the US Open, his only major.

Jim answered that ’06 was his most consistent year because of the number of top-25s and top-10s. But he conceded that the Fed Ex Cup, 3 wins and being voted Player of the Year made 2010 his best. I thought it would be interesting to hear from a player about this. Would the year of his major, the year he hit a career high ranking or the year of his most wins and money earned be the one he thought was best. From the way he gave his answer, it seemed that being voted Player of the Year by his fellow pros really put 2010 over the top in his mind.

When one plays TPC Sawgrass there is one question that will be asked by friends and family after the round, “What’d ya make on 17?”

The pin was in the front and I tried to knock down a pitching wedge, about 125 yards. As I started my downswing I resolved NOT to rinse my ball and stepped on that wedge a bit. The ball landed over the green, nearly on walkway to the 17th green. But it was dry. I lagged the putt to 4 feet, but just like at 7 with Furyk, I pulled the par putt. Bogey. As I said to my playing partners at the time, I’d rather make a 4-putt double bogey than hit it in the water on 17.

I actually finished with three consecutive bogeys on what I think is among the best finishing stretches in golf. I took 86 strokes to get around, 17 fewer than my first attempt at The Players Stadium Course.

I hold this course in the highest regard, and count myself beyond fortunate to have played the course twice. I owe this round to my father-in-law, Jürgen Georg, who was generous enough to offer this to me from a reward that he redeemed. I came away from the day with a confidence in my game to shoot the score I did on a difficult course, an affirmation in my putting thanks to Jim Furyk, and as a fan of Jim Furyk, which I already was, but now I’ll place him among my top 5 favorites on tour.

16th green from the fairway.

The 16th green with 17th green in the background.

The 16th hole from the tee. An example of Pete Dye disguising the wide landing area with trees on the left and large mounding on the right.

The back of the 17th green.

Worm-cam view of my tee shot on the back of 17 green.

The 17th green from The Players tee.

The 17th green from the “regular guys” tee.

The clubhouse and 18th green from the 18th fairway.

Most of the grandstands for The Players were under construction.

Looking back toward the 18th tee from the green.

View from the 18th tee box.

The 77,000 sq. ft. clubhouse

Advertisements

]]>https://dimplehead.wordpress.com/2014/03/25/my-day-at-tpc-sawgrass-with-jim-furyk/feed/0PoseWithJimjoshlabellFuryk sharing the finer points of putting.Clearly someone was fed up with the 17th hole.16th green from the fairway.The 16th green with 17th green in the background.The 16th hole from the tee. An example of Pete Dye disguising the wide landing area with trees on the left and large mounding on the right.The back of the 17th green.Worm-cam view of my tee shot on the back of 17 green.The 17th green from The Players tee.The 17th green from the "regular guys" tee.The clubhouse and 18th green from the 18th fairway.Most of the grandstands for The Players were under construction.Looking back toward the 18th tee from the green.View from the 18th tee box.The 77,000 sq. ft. clubhousePodcast 37: West Coast Swing vs Florida Swinghttps://dimplehead.wordpress.com/2014/02/17/podcast-37-west-coast-swing-vs-florida-swing/
https://dimplehead.wordpress.com/2014/02/17/podcast-37-west-coast-swing-vs-florida-swing/#respondTue, 18 Feb 2014 01:47:31 +0000http://dimplehead.wordpress.com/?p=1344

Josh discusses the merits and drawbacks of the two early season swings first with Dr. Robin Kelly of West Texas A&M University and then with Ryan Ballengee of Golf News Net and the Billy Casper Golf Digital Network.

Josh and his guests discuss the venues, fields and overall cache of each of the West Coast and Florida swing events.

]]>https://dimplehead.wordpress.com/2014/02/17/podcast-37-west-coast-swing-vs-florida-swing/feed/0DHPodcastLogojoshlabellPodcast 36 – John Kim, PGA.comhttps://dimplehead.wordpress.com/2014/02/08/podcast-36-john-kim-pga-com/
https://dimplehead.wordpress.com/2014/02/08/podcast-36-john-kim-pga-com/#respondSat, 08 Feb 2014 18:56:18 +0000http://dimplehead.wordpress.com/?p=1340John Kim, coordinating producer of PGA.com, joined Josh to recap the 2014 PGA Merchandise show in Orlando. They discussed some of the hot products at the show and John shares his story of one of the most over-the-top products he’s ever seen at the show.
https://dimplehead.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/podcast36johnkim.m4a

]]>https://dimplehead.wordpress.com/2014/01/26/gallery-callaway-golf-at-the-pga-show/feed/0BigBerthajoshlabellWhat I Fully Expect to Happen in Golf in 2014; Which Means It Most Certainly Will NOT! Part 1https://dimplehead.wordpress.com/2014/01/16/what-i-fully-expect-to-happen-in-golf-in-2014-which-means-it-most-certainly-will-not-part-1/
https://dimplehead.wordpress.com/2014/01/16/what-i-fully-expect-to-happen-in-golf-in-2014-which-means-it-most-certainly-will-not-part-1/#commentsThu, 16 Jan 2014 06:11:56 +0000http://dimplehead.wordpress.com/?p=1212As the new year unfolds in the golf world it’s always fun to ponder what events will take place (majors, Ryder Cup), which players will rise or fall (Spieth, McIlroy) and wait to see the unpredictable (Drop Gate, Dufnering).

On the front end 2014 lays out as well as an Alistair Mackenzie Sand Belt classic. It’s tough to beat the major championship venues; Augusta National, Pinehurst No. 2, Royal Liverpool and Valhalla – don’t forget the women playing their US Open on the No. 2 the week after the men. It’s a Ryder Cup year with Gleneagles hosting the matches in Scotland and none other than Tom Watson captaining the American side. A very interesting trio…no, wait, foursome…eh, I suppose it’s really a quintet of super-talented young players seem poised to either elevate themselves to the game’s elite or remind everyone that they never really left in the first place. None of the three first-time major champs from 2013 was a fluke and any or all of the three want to at least double his major total. Lastly, the two greatest players of this era seem as motivated as ever to add a green jacket, or silver trophy to their respective mantles. Now that I’m all geeked up and ready watch, here is part one of what I fully expect to happen in golf in 2014; which means it most certainly will not!

The Majors

The venues are about as top-shelf as it gets in 2014 – perhaps topped only a year featuring both Pebble Beach and St. Andrews (which is not on the foreseeable calendar until perhaps 2030). Augusta needs no description. Pinehurst No. 2 is one of the ten best courses in the United States and has an incredible US Open legacy, albeit a brief one. Royal Liverpool boasts an impressive roll call of past Open Champions (Woods, DeVicenzo, Thomsen, Jones and Hagen, among others) and should feature another top-level winner. And when last we left Valhalla in Louisville, Paul Azinger was spraying champagne with his victorious US Ryder Cup squad. Let’s also not forget that both previous PGA Championships went to playoffs including the epic David-versus-Goliath showdown between Tiger Woods and Bob May in 2000.

Coming off of his Friday meltdown on the 15th hole that led to a [bleep]-storm no one could have predicted, I fully expect Tiger Woods to win his 5th green jacket. More than ever, he has unfinished business at Augusta National. It’s not a bridge to far to say Tiger had a great chance to hold on and win had his third shot stayed on the green and not ricocheted in the pond Friday afternoon last year. He’ll settle the score this spring.

No other golfer, ever, has more unfinished business at a particular event than does Phil Mickelson at the U.S. Open. Couple that with his loss to Payne Stewart in a down-the-stretch clash back in 1999 at Pinehurst No. 2, and Phil Mickelson is ready to win this championship. Having captured the Open Championship, which he admitted he never thought he’d win, and surely still feeling the sting of his 6th runner-up finish to Justin Rose last June, Phil seems as motivated as ever to lock up the one major that now evades him. And I fully expect that he will and spend his 44th birthday (the Monday after the final round) with the trophy.

Trivia time: Name the player who held a piece of the final round lead in each of the last two Open Championships…Adam Scott. The Aussie memorably had five fingers on the Claret Jug in 2012 before a bogey-fest coming in and a missed putt on the 72nd hole. He was also in the mix at Muirfield in 2013. I fully expect Scott (along with Steve Williams, caddy for Tiger Woods during Woods’ romping win there in 2006) to back up his Masters win by becoming the “Champion Golfer of the Year.”

There was no better comeback story in 2013 than Sweden’s Henrik Stenson. With prodigious ball striking and driving distance to spare (literally, he hits 3 wood just as often and just as far as his driver) Stenson went on a stellar run to close 2013 as the Fed Cup and Race to Dubai champion, the first man to do so. His skills will lead him to the PGA Championship. I fully expect that Stenson, similar to Scott at the Masters last year, will be the first male Swede to hold a major championship.

Wait a minute!

That sounds like it could be the most storybook year ever. Clearly this is not going to happen! No way at all.

Steve Elling from The National, an English-language newspaper in Abu Dhabi, joined Josh to talk about the DP World Tour Championship, aka the finale of the Race to Dubai on the European Tour. Josh and Steve also discussed the impact of the wrap-around schedule on global golf and who deserves the worldwide player of the year.

]]>https://dimplehead.wordpress.com/2013/11/15/podcast-35-steve-elling/feed/0DHPodcastLogojoshlabellI’m Not Sure What to Make of The Presidents Cuphttps://dimplehead.wordpress.com/2013/10/13/im-not-sure-what-to-make-of-the-presidents-cup/
https://dimplehead.wordpress.com/2013/10/13/im-not-sure-what-to-make-of-the-presidents-cup/#respondSun, 13 Oct 2013 22:45:21 +0000http://dimplehead.wordpress.com/?p=1206

I just can’t figure out what to do with the Presidents Cup. I thought it was the little brother of The Ryder Cup. Sure, the Americans won every year, but what’s wrong with that? I’m an American golf fan. Full disclosure: I found myself rooting for the International Team. I’m not really a “pull for the underdogs” type of sports fan. I loved watching Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky as a kid. I loved watching the dominance of Tiger Woods and Roger Federer over the last decade. But those were examples of compelling dominance. The Presidents Cup is far from compelling and here’s why…

Granted, this International Team wasn’t really supposed to contend with the heavily favored Americans. But maybe they could have stayed close to the end. The format was changed in the team matches to begin with fourballs (better ball) in the Thursday session. This was supposed to be an advantage for the Internationals as the US had not won a fourball session in the Presidents Cup since 2003. The move didn’t pay off for the Internationals, though. The US led 3 ½ – 2 ½ after Thursday. It was closer than it normally is when the first session is contested in foursomes (alternate shot), but not a lead or even a tie for the Internationals.

The matches were contested at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, just outside Columbus. Muirfield Village is Jack Nicklaus’ place and it is a first-rate facility. It hosts the Memorial Tournament each spring, and holds an important place on the PGA Tour schedule. It is also the only course to host the Ryder, Solheim and Presidents Cups. Many of the International Team members play the PGA Tour and The Memorial each year. Australian Jason Day actually lives in Columbus and is a member at Muirfield Village, playing upwards of 35 rounds a year there. Where was this advantage of familiarity? With the Americans who featured Tiger Woods (five-time winner of The Memorial) and defending Memorial Champion Matt Kuchar.

It rained and rained and rained some more in Dublin, OH. It usually rains the week of The Memorial Tournament, too. This has prompted rumors of a curse on course designer Jack Nicklaus because MVGC is built on ancient Indian burial ground. I guess that’s more compelling than the golf turned out to be.

There isn’t much to look forward to either. In two years the matches will move to South Korea. With no International home advantage to speak of and a course that looks to be average at best, what does this even have to look forward to? The last four host courses were Royal Montreal, TPC Harding Park, Royal Melbourne and Muirfield Village, all well-known, well respected tracks with championship pedigrees. Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in South Korea? Anyone?

Moreover Korea’s KJ Choi looks to be a lock for the International Captaincy. KJ Choi is one of my favorite players on the PGA Tour and widely considered one of the most genuine, kind people in golf. He certainly has a hero’s reputation in his home country as the winningest Asian-born player on the PGA Tour. But is he near the level of recent International Captains Gary Player, Greg Norman or Nick Price? Not even close.

Two of the bigger stories to come from the week at Muirfield were Sammy the Squirrel, who apparently took a liking to American vice captain Davis Love III on Thursday and a female streaker during the singles matches on Sunday.

Speaking of Singles Matches, how about that draw, huh? Riveting stuff! Ok, not really riveting at all, by any stretch of the imagination. Unlike the blind draw of the Ryder Cup, the Presidents Cup features an alternating draw between the two captains. The greatest controversy to come from this year’s contest was whether or not captains Nick Price and Fred Couples should have punted on competition and given the people the much-ballyhooed Tiger Woods vs Adam Scott singles match. Consider that going into the singles session, the US held a virtually insurmountable six-point lead. By this point in the proceedings it was more of a story that the captains short-changed the viewers with their draw of singles matches by pitting, among others snoozers, Tiger Woods against Richard Sterne. Nevermind that Price and Couples might want to try and win the thing. Don’t worry about what the teams need to do to win the Cup. It’s about what looks good on TV, dammit!

That’s the problem I am having. I was barely inclined to watch a blow out contest featuring matches that seemed only slightly more interesting than a hardware store lecture on the differences between flat, semi-gloss and glossy paint. So where is this contest going? Sure, an international win would help to create some buzz. But one win will not do the trick.

Remember that the Ryder Cup was a snooze-fest as well through the 1970s and into the 80s. Europe hadn’t won since 1957 with the lone bright spot being a tie in 1969. Then along came Seve Ballesteros and Tony Jacklin. Seve was the leader for the Europeans on the course, engaging his teammates in a celebration after a one-point defeat in 1983 because it was the closest they’d been since 1957. Jacklin captained the mid-80s Europeans to that one-point loss in ’83 and a win in ’85 at The Belfry and again in ’87 against Nicklaus’ Americans for the first European victory on American soil.

Does anyone see that happening in the next 6 years for the Internationals?

Until the PGA Tour decides what it wants to do with its attempt at a Ryder Cup equivalent I see the Presidents Cup continuing to flounder in a tepid mix of mediocrity and boredom.